last looks
And the Nominees Should Have Been... Given
the current list of Best Actor nominees, I’d hand the
statuette to Viggo Mortensen in a heartbeat. But fi rst
I’d correct an omission: James McAvoy deserved a
nod for his gentle, nuanced performance as Robbie
in Atonement . As piercing as Saoirse Ronan’s eyes
are, it’s McAvoy who connects the fi lm’s languid
yet tense fi rst half to its divided second, and who
convinced me of his and Cecilia’s love with one brief
scene. Likewise, in the Best Actress race, I don’t think
anyone compares to Marion Cotillard in La Vie en
Rose , though I wasn’t won over by the movie as a
whole. But let’s add Amy Adams to the nominee list
for her winning, pitch-perfect (and had she wobbled
either sharp or fl at, the fi lm would have gone under
with her) performance as a Disney would-be princess
in Enchanted . — MT
McLovin gets his grind on
Overlooked Performance: It’s a sweet, if
in Superbad
somewhat saccharine, confection, but what makes
Waitress special is the unblinking focus of Keri
Russell. As with Jennifer Garner in Juno , I never
saw this performance coming: Russell plays the damaged-but-still-intact victim of emotional
abuse with sweetness, grace and a most fetching accent. She’s crusty on the outside and
custard on the inside. Possibly the overlooked performance of the year. — JB
Best Dick Jokes OK, so I didn’t see all the potential contenders for this one. But
Superbad ’s parade of crudely drawn phalluses was one of the raunchy highlights of a
surprisingly sweet coming-of-age story about the real bonds of friendship — and a movie that
18 FEBRUARY 21, 2008 EUGENE WEEKLY
had one of the year’s two delicate performances from the
elfi n, wonderful Michael Cera, who, OK, sure, he needs
to branch out, but the kid is damn good at awkward and
well-intentioned. — MT
Funniest Moment: Overall, Hot Fuzz was the year’s
funniest movie, followed closely by Knocked Up . But
for my money the funniest moment of 2007 is during
Superbad when, after telling nerdy Vogel about his
divorce, a cop receives a terrifi ed distress call over
his radio — “WE NEED BACKUP! THERE’S SO MUCH
BLOOD!” — and turns it off without even a change of
expression. It’s terribly wrong and terribly funny. — JB
2/3 of a Really Good Film To my disappointment,
I spent the fi rst third of Juno rolling my eyes at the too-
glib-by-half dialogue, which worked too hard to display
its über-quirky charm. But Ellen Page, whom I will watch
in anything after last year’s Hard Candy , gently leads
the way into the fi lm’s more thoughtful, loving scenes.
I think the moment everything shifts is the scene in the
mall, when Jennifer Garner’s face nearly breaks open,
when Page’s Juno just this once knows better than to
say a word. I wanted to hug them both, then, and again
at the fi lm’s close. — MT
Most Overrated: As usual, Cronenberg luxuriates in violence, including violence to
women. In Eastern Promises , he’s added a twist: throat-slashings that hold our gaze
several moments longer than necessary. There are more false notes than a sack of counterfeit
money, which is unfortunate, because several superb actors — Viggo Mortensen, Vincent
Cassel and Naomi Watts — are along for the ride. Moderately interesting, but mean-spirited,
leaving little to the imagination. — JB
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